In the future (5 years) I may be moving back to Taiwan. My wife is Taiwanese. She has a job, but I need one. We’re just north of 30 yrs old.
I can program (java, php/mysql), have a medical background, and have a master’s in public health.
Will it be hard to find a job as a software developer or in academics or healthcare?
I’ve heard the “you’re throwing your future away” comments, b/c I should stay in America, but that is not our plan. Are there reasonably fulfilling jobs in Taiwan for me? Spoken mandarin is not a problem, and reading at a 4th grade level is probably what I can do today.
Consider medical tourism, which is much talked about but I know not how well established… or whatever comes next, given that you’re looking 5 years down the road.
Public Health and Medical Infomatics are expanding fields in Taiwan as they seek to upgrade their medical records-keeping systems, particularly for rural area clients. Keep knocking on doors.
Ditto on the above. You’ll be better off if you can come here on an expat package. And even if you come here on your own, you’ll want to be as sharp as possible in written Mandarin.
Also think about your visa situation; if you come here on your own you can get an open work permit with a marriage-based visa, or you can apply for a work visa but I hear that you may need to be able to document several years of relevant experience in that field. Think about preserving that kind of documentation in advance, just in case.